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The Allies: Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and the Unlikely Alliance That Won World War II
Best-selling author Winston Groom tells the complex story of how Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin--the three iconic and vastly different Allied leaders--aligned to win World War II and created a new world order.
By the end of World War II, 59 nations were arrayed against the axis powers, but three great Allied leaders--Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin--had emerged to control the war in Europe and the Pacific. Vastly different in upbringing and political beliefs, they were not always in agreement--or even on good terms. But, often led by Churchill's enduring spirit, in the end these three men changed the course of history. Using the remarkable letters between the three world leaders, enriching narrative details of their personal lives, and riveting tales of battles won and lost, best-selling historian Winston Groom returns to share one of the biggest stories of the 20th century: The interwoven and remarkable tale, and a fascinating study of leadership styles, of three world leaders who fought the largest war in history.
By the end of World War II, 59 nations were arrayed against the axis powers, but three great Allied leaders--Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin--had emerged to control the war in Europe and the Pacific. Vastly different in upbringing and political beliefs, they were not always in agreement--or even on good terms. But, often led by Churchill's enduring spirit, in the end these three men changed the course of history. Using the remarkable letters between the three world leaders, enriching narrative details of their personal lives, and riveting tales of battles won and lost, best-selling historian Winston Groom returns to share one of the biggest stories of the 20th century: The interwoven and remarkable tale, and a fascinating study of leadership styles, of three world leaders who fought the largest war in history.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 2018
243 people are currently reading
3372 people want to read
About the author
Winston Groom
46 books596 followersWinston Francis Groom Jr. was an American novelist and non-fiction writer, best known for his book Forrest Gump, which was adapted into a film in 1994. Groom was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Mobile, Alabama where he attended University Military School (now known as UMS-Wright Preparatory School). He attended the University of Alabama, where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta and the Army ROTC, and graduated in 1965. He served in the Army from 1965 to 1969, including a tour in Vietnam. Groom devoted his time to writing history books about American wars. More recently he had lived in Point Clear, Alabama, and Long Island, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
February 16, 2023
I have enjoyed Winston Groom's writings and thought it was time to try this book, released in 2018. I am certainly glad that I did.
Although I have read extensively about WWII and the major political players and didn't find anything particularly new, I was still very engrossed in the author's presentation of the three men (FDR, Churchill, Stalin) in whose hands the future was placed. We are provided with a mini-biography of each man and how they came to power. It gets a little gossipy about the men's privates lives but overall it clearly delineates how their past shaped their attitudes about the war.
FDR, an anti-colonialist, was concerned that the British would try to retain their global empire; Churchill detested Stalin and all he stood for and worried (rightfully so) about the USSR's postwar intentions; Stalin hated everyone and played a canny political game which eventually validated Churchill's concerns. Regardless, these three men brought the world through a period of devastation and as the author said....."sometimes with stunning courage, sometimes with brutal force".
An interesting and informative book even for those who are knowledgeable about the subject. Recommended.
Although I have read extensively about WWII and the major political players and didn't find anything particularly new, I was still very engrossed in the author's presentation of the three men (FDR, Churchill, Stalin) in whose hands the future was placed. We are provided with a mini-biography of each man and how they came to power. It gets a little gossipy about the men's privates lives but overall it clearly delineates how their past shaped their attitudes about the war.
FDR, an anti-colonialist, was concerned that the British would try to retain their global empire; Churchill detested Stalin and all he stood for and worried (rightfully so) about the USSR's postwar intentions; Stalin hated everyone and played a canny political game which eventually validated Churchill's concerns. Regardless, these three men brought the world through a period of devastation and as the author said....."sometimes with stunning courage, sometimes with brutal force".
An interesting and informative book even for those who are knowledgeable about the subject. Recommended.
November 25, 2018
Groom brings Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin to life! The book is well written and so interesting to read. One of the biggest stories of the 20th century: the winning of the 2nd WW.
December 14, 2018
BOOK REVIEW 📚The Allies, Winston Groom
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Groom's book, The Allies, is about the Alliance of Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin, the three iconic political leaders in WW2.
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Part of this book reads as a biography of Churchill focusing on his upbringing, education time in the British army, as a writer and war corresponder, his imprisonment and escape, etc. I found his life story quite interesting.
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The next section of this book reads like a biography on Stalin, however, nuch of the documentation of Stalin's younger days are presented in contrast to Churchill's, demonstrating how different the two men were. Much of Stalin's history continues though a time of chaos and uncertainty in Russia.
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Next, Groom presents Roosevelt's history, reading once again like a biography. We learn of Roosevelt's education, marriage, early work, his sudden illness and eventual diagnosis of polio, his involvement in politics, etc. with interesting insight into the relationship with his mother.
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I liked how this book was set up focusing on the different leaders individually then merging and overlapping their histories as they became Allies in the war. It was an interesting book. Fans of WWII history should check this out!
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Thank you @TLCbooktours for this copy in exchange for my review. #theallies #partner
.
Groom's book, The Allies, is about the Alliance of Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin, the three iconic political leaders in WW2.
.
Part of this book reads as a biography of Churchill focusing on his upbringing, education time in the British army, as a writer and war corresponder, his imprisonment and escape, etc. I found his life story quite interesting.
.
The next section of this book reads like a biography on Stalin, however, nuch of the documentation of Stalin's younger days are presented in contrast to Churchill's, demonstrating how different the two men were. Much of Stalin's history continues though a time of chaos and uncertainty in Russia.
.
Next, Groom presents Roosevelt's history, reading once again like a biography. We learn of Roosevelt's education, marriage, early work, his sudden illness and eventual diagnosis of polio, his involvement in politics, etc. with interesting insight into the relationship with his mother.
.
I liked how this book was set up focusing on the different leaders individually then merging and overlapping their histories as they became Allies in the war. It was an interesting book. Fans of WWII history should check this out!
.
Thank you @TLCbooktours for this copy in exchange for my review. #theallies #partner
March 5, 2021
With the publishing of The Allies: Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and the Unlikely Alliance That Won World War II by Winston Groom this best-selling author tells how American President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin--the three iconic and vastly different Allied leaders--aligned and cooperated to win World War II and create a new world order following the successful conclusion of World War II. The author explores their vastly different upbringing, early lives, and development of their political beliefs to help us understand them and why they made the choices they made and, in the end, these three men changed the course of history. Using extensive research into the remarkable letters between these three world leaders, as well as other documents and source materials about their personal lives the author presents their challenges and triumphs, riveting tales of battles won and lost, interwoven and remarkable tales, and a fascinating study of the different leadership styles, of three world leaders who fought the largest war in world history.
December 24, 2020
This book was similar to Winston Groom's "The Aviators" and "The Generals" (both of which I have read) and "The Patriots" (which I want to read soon) in taking three contemporary subjects and analyzing them both separately and together regarding their impact on their times, on history, and on the future. Sadly, Groom passed away, so any further books of this type will (if they exist) will be published posthumously.
In this case, these were three giant personalities of diverse backgrounds who united to fight the Axis powers in the Second World War. While each could have much more written about them - and it has been in other places - Groom's comparative style is masterful in showing the similarities and contrasts between the subjects and why allying with the enemy-of-my-enemy was necessary during the war but undesirable afterward.
The comparisons are interesting, because they give greater context than biographies of a single individual. However, since three people share the stage, the depth is less than a true biography, so there is a bit of a trade-off, but I really enjoy this style.
I am interested in reading Bret Baier's similar work, "Three Days at the Brink" (about the Tehran conference between the same three men) which is a similar comparison but focused on just three days of their lives to see if his conclusions are similar - I'm guessing they like are - and what other perspectives he adds, but Groom's was a great work, and I only wish he had lived longer to do more of this type of comparison.
In this case, these were three giant personalities of diverse backgrounds who united to fight the Axis powers in the Second World War. While each could have much more written about them - and it has been in other places - Groom's comparative style is masterful in showing the similarities and contrasts between the subjects and why allying with the enemy-of-my-enemy was necessary during the war but undesirable afterward.
The comparisons are interesting, because they give greater context than biographies of a single individual. However, since three people share the stage, the depth is less than a true biography, so there is a bit of a trade-off, but I really enjoy this style.
I am interested in reading Bret Baier's similar work, "Three Days at the Brink" (about the Tehran conference between the same three men) which is a similar comparison but focused on just three days of their lives to see if his conclusions are similar - I'm guessing they like are - and what other perspectives he adds, but Groom's was a great work, and I only wish he had lived longer to do more of this type of comparison.
August 15, 2018
The Allies by Winston Groom
A superb history of the three leaders who guided the world during WWII: Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. Not only did these three political giants direct the strategy of the war, they contributed to the future direction of the world by decisions made at the war’s conclusion. Although I have read books and viewed movies that detailed specific battles and places, Groom did a lovely job weaving a story that pulled the events together into a broad perspective which I thoroughly enjoyed. And as I have come to expect in all his histories, the anecdotes were fascinating and I learned new details about the characters and the events in play. A powerful story!
A superb history of the three leaders who guided the world during WWII: Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. Not only did these three political giants direct the strategy of the war, they contributed to the future direction of the world by decisions made at the war’s conclusion. Although I have read books and viewed movies that detailed specific battles and places, Groom did a lovely job weaving a story that pulled the events together into a broad perspective which I thoroughly enjoyed. And as I have come to expect in all his histories, the anecdotes were fascinating and I learned new details about the characters and the events in play. A powerful story!
January 25, 2019
While I like Winston Groom and find him to be a very good historian this is a very weak book. It has basically an old documentary which has been told a million and one times. He offers a history of the 3 that tells us nothing. In fact there is very little discussion of the Second World War and the relationship between them. I would say that only the last third deals with their leadership during the war.
If you know nothing about the war than read this. Otherwise read A Storm in Flanders to see what Groom can do.
If you know nothing about the war than read this. Otherwise read A Storm in Flanders to see what Groom can do.
February 25, 2020
This is an ambitious book; a triple biography, and a history of WWII, as such it of necessity skims the surface, and yet Groom manages to give a very good picture of each man's life and character as well as an often devastating portrait of the times they lived through and to a large extent influenced.
This took me longer to read than I had anticipated because I kept stalling on the parts on Stalin. He was such a horrible man and the depredations he instituted and/or condoned are appalling.
An excellent book for the casual history reader.
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2020: a book with a map
This took me longer to read than I had anticipated because I kept stalling on the parts on Stalin. He was such a horrible man and the depredations he instituted and/or condoned are appalling.
An excellent book for the casual history reader.
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2020: a book with a map
March 13, 2025
Audible credit 15 hours 47 min. Narrated by George Guidall (4)
Winston Groom "tells the story" of World War II and gives brief biographies of the men who held the fate of all the world as fought they the Axis powers. THE ALLIES would serve as a great introduction to the war.
I was familiar with the lives of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Spencer Churchill, but I knew nothing of Joseph Stalin except about his reputation during the war. This book was worth reading to understand just how much Stalin's life differed from the first two men. While Churchill was riding a horse as a young war correspondent, Stalin was trying to ride a horse to pull off a train robbery to add to the coffers of Lenin's young communism. There was nothing noble or virtuous about his life, personal nor political. He has the blood of hundreds of millions of Russians on his hands.
I also learned how little I knew about the war in North Africa.
Groom seems to stray from his talking point, "The Unlikely Alliance," until his summary in the epilogue.
If you are looking for an easy to follow history of the war, this book is a solid place to begin. It offers something for most readers interested in these leaders and their war.
Churchill will be remembered as the tenacious leader who led Great Britain as she stayed off Hitler for three years until America joined in the fight. Churchill alone had insight as to the dangers of communism long before the war began and never trusted Stalin. He needed Russia's help at the beginning of the war as much as he needed America's help as a lifeline to continue the war. Yes, an unlikely alliance.
Winston Groom "tells the story" of World War II and gives brief biographies of the men who held the fate of all the world as fought they the Axis powers. THE ALLIES would serve as a great introduction to the war.
I was familiar with the lives of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Spencer Churchill, but I knew nothing of Joseph Stalin except about his reputation during the war. This book was worth reading to understand just how much Stalin's life differed from the first two men. While Churchill was riding a horse as a young war correspondent, Stalin was trying to ride a horse to pull off a train robbery to add to the coffers of Lenin's young communism. There was nothing noble or virtuous about his life, personal nor political. He has the blood of hundreds of millions of Russians on his hands.
I also learned how little I knew about the war in North Africa.
Groom seems to stray from his talking point, "The Unlikely Alliance," until his summary in the epilogue.
If you are looking for an easy to follow history of the war, this book is a solid place to begin. It offers something for most readers interested in these leaders and their war.
Churchill will be remembered as the tenacious leader who led Great Britain as she stayed off Hitler for three years until America joined in the fight. Churchill alone had insight as to the dangers of communism long before the war began and never trusted Stalin. He needed Russia's help at the beginning of the war as much as he needed America's help as a lifeline to continue the war. Yes, an unlikely alliance.
June 20, 2024
This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting it to be. It went into much more detail about these leaders lives leading up to their respective rises to power than I was really interested in. Essentially out of the 17 chapters of this book only 6-7 of them were actually about the events of WWII. While it was all still interesting and I learned a lot about Stalin and Churchill that I did not know before, I still wish this book had been more about what it was advertised as.
May 11, 2021
A very good book on the leadership of the war. For this work, the war itself is just a backdrop. Big events are used more to place the timeline for the discussions on the leaders that sat on top of the machinery that ran the war in their countries. It is a good look at the growth and the development of these three Men through their lifetimes. A well-written book that presents the biographies of these World Leaders alongside one another to give a more nuanced view of their lives.
May 27, 2020
Joelle Reads Her Bookcase #24
I felt like Groom spent way too long on the biographies of the Big Three leading up too WWII, and then spent much of the rest of the book on Churchill. There was also a lot of naval and battle history, which to me didn't really speak to the alliance. The battles that came about in North Africa after the US entered the war were relative, but Guadalcanal - a strictly US Navy/Marine battle against the Japanese in the Pacific - did not require the same amount of focus. Roosevelt was made to appear naive and inept; he is always contrasted with the depth of Churchill's wisdom. At times, one begins to think that even General Eisenhower (usually called "Ike") commanded more respect from the author! Stalin was at least done the justice of starting evil, and dying even more so.
There was just such a noticeable bias throughout the book that it was hard to discover where the alliance was that Groom was purportedly going to write about.
I felt like Groom spent way too long on the biographies of the Big Three leading up too WWII, and then spent much of the rest of the book on Churchill. There was also a lot of naval and battle history, which to me didn't really speak to the alliance. The battles that came about in North Africa after the US entered the war were relative, but Guadalcanal - a strictly US Navy/Marine battle against the Japanese in the Pacific - did not require the same amount of focus. Roosevelt was made to appear naive and inept; he is always contrasted with the depth of Churchill's wisdom. At times, one begins to think that even General Eisenhower (usually called "Ike") commanded more respect from the author! Stalin was at least done the justice of starting evil, and dying even more so.
There was just such a noticeable bias throughout the book that it was hard to discover where the alliance was that Groom was purportedly going to write about.
March 6, 2020
Okay, let's be fair: for me, this is a 2.49-star book, but for someone who doesn't really know much about Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin and WW II, this might be a 4-star book. It's mostly well-written and certainly is easy to read, if you don't mind a bit of skipping around in chronology when Brother Groom (we're members of the same fraternity) juggles goings-on in the Pacific war with Japan and then bounces back to the African/European war with Germany. I think the transitions could have been smoother, but then this isn't a great work of careful scholarship -- it's popular history in a stylistic mold that Groom has used twice before (which he acknowledges in the back-of-the-book notes. You might want to read that first.)
So, specific gripes: 1) a long, long bunch of biography of our three "heroes" before we get to the main event, their incarnation as "allies" (past the half-way point); 2) a variety of factual errors/editing errors (see my progress notes for a couple examples); 3) an over-abundance of bottom-of-the-page explanatory footnotes which seems like a cheap-and-easy method of correcting "issues" in the main text. The better way would have been to rewrite a sentence or paragraph, but one saves time and money and effort (but irritates this reviewer) by just sticking the information in a footnote. Seems like lots of not-really-good books use this same tool. The abominable Bill O'Reilly "Killing (everyone)" books are full of this sort of footnote; 4) very poor citations/notes on the provenance of information in the text. Sometimes he goes paragraphs without a note to a source. Other times he has a note on factual information that really is common knowledge but often has no notes to give the source of a direct quotation; 5) related to the scholarship comment, the book relies mainly on secondary sources and on Winston Churchill's memoirs. OK, it makes a good read, but doesn't add much (if anything) to knowledge.
But that's not the sort of book this was intended to be, is it? Groom is a WRITER who writes lots of history, but he is not a HISTORIAN. And that's not a crime. So, yes, read this book if you must, but if you're serious, there's much more out there that's a better use of time.
So the real question for ME becomes -- do I read Groom's "The Generals" -- the same sort of book? I already own it . . . but I think I won't read it . . . at least not now.
So, specific gripes: 1) a long, long bunch of biography of our three "heroes" before we get to the main event, their incarnation as "allies" (past the half-way point); 2) a variety of factual errors/editing errors (see my progress notes for a couple examples); 3) an over-abundance of bottom-of-the-page explanatory footnotes which seems like a cheap-and-easy method of correcting "issues" in the main text. The better way would have been to rewrite a sentence or paragraph, but one saves time and money and effort (but irritates this reviewer) by just sticking the information in a footnote. Seems like lots of not-really-good books use this same tool. The abominable Bill O'Reilly "Killing (everyone)" books are full of this sort of footnote; 4) very poor citations/notes on the provenance of information in the text. Sometimes he goes paragraphs without a note to a source. Other times he has a note on factual information that really is common knowledge but often has no notes to give the source of a direct quotation; 5) related to the scholarship comment, the book relies mainly on secondary sources and on Winston Churchill's memoirs. OK, it makes a good read, but doesn't add much (if anything) to knowledge.
But that's not the sort of book this was intended to be, is it? Groom is a WRITER who writes lots of history, but he is not a HISTORIAN. And that's not a crime. So, yes, read this book if you must, but if you're serious, there's much more out there that's a better use of time.
So the real question for ME becomes -- do I read Groom's "The Generals" -- the same sort of book? I already own it . . . but I think I won't read it . . . at least not now.
February 10, 2023
Имах по-големи очаквания след прочетените коментари и предвид доста високия читателски рейтинг.
На мен лично книгата ми се стори твърде разбъркана. Действително, ако не ви се четат отделни биографични томчета за Сталин, Рузвелт и Чърчил, това е едно добро въвеждащо четиво. За "Тримата големи" има писани много и много по-детайлни биографии, но някои от тях трудно можем да намерим, а други - едва ли имаме времето да прочетем, предвид обема им. Така че книгата на Груум е някакъв вид научнопопулярен заместител - не е тритомникът на Коткин, но не е и просто на нивото на документален филм по Хистори чанъл (нищо че е издадена от изд. Нешънъл Джиографик).
По-слабата ми оценка е следствие най-вече на погрешните очаквания, с които започнах книгата. Исках да прочета повече за дипломатическата страна на отношенията между Сталин, Чърчил и Рузвелт, за военновременните им срещи и конференции, но, уви, получих друго.
До около средата "The Allies" върви като стандартна успоредна биография на тримата лидери в ранните им години. След средата, когато войната свързва съдбите им, действително книгата започва да отговаря на заглавието си, а именно - да се говори за "съюзническите" отношения между САЩ, Великобритания и СССР в хода на ВСВ. Тук обаче няма да откриете последователен анализ на дипломатическите отношения в рамките на именувания от Чърчил "Велик съюз", а цветущо (с научнопопулярна нотка) представяне на отделни епизоди от войната (и малко след нея). Не че прочетеното не ми беше любопитно и полезно, но търсех съвсем друго.
В книгата също така личи огромният интерес на Груум към военната страна на историята на ВСВ, който го изкушава на много моменти да прави лирически отклонения, посветени на отделни битки и сражения. Драмата не е голяма (в тези пасажи могат да се научат някои интересни факти), но проблемът е, че текстовете, посветени на "важни" (с оглед темата на книгата) епизоди от развитието на "Великия съюз", като например Техеранската или Ялтенската конференции, получават сходно по обем отразяване.
В резюме, книгата на Уинстън Груум е приятна и се чете бързо, но ако търсите нещо по-специализирано, дори "по-сухо" като стил, за сложните дипломатически отношения между "Тримата големи", изборът ви може би трябва да падне върху друго произведение и друг автор.
На мен лично книгата ми се стори твърде разбъркана. Действително, ако не ви се четат отделни биографични томчета за Сталин, Рузвелт и Чърчил, това е едно добро въвеждащо четиво. За "Тримата големи" има писани много и много по-детайлни биографии, но някои от тях трудно можем да намерим, а други - едва ли имаме времето да прочетем, предвид обема им. Така че книгата на Груум е някакъв вид научнопопулярен заместител - не е тритомникът на Коткин, но не е и просто на нивото на документален филм по Хистори чанъл (нищо че е издадена от изд. Нешънъл Джиографик).
По-слабата ми оценка е следствие най-вече на погрешните очаквания, с които започнах книгата. Исках да прочета повече за дипломатическата страна на отношенията между Сталин, Чърчил и Рузвелт, за военновременните им срещи и конференции, но, уви, получих друго.
До около средата "The Allies" върви като стандартна успоредна биография на тримата лидери в ранните им години. След средата, когато войната свързва съдбите им, действително книгата започва да отговаря на заглавието си, а именно - да се говори за "съюзническите" отношения между САЩ, Великобритания и СССР в хода на ВСВ. Тук обаче няма да откриете последователен анализ на дипломатическите отношения в рамките на именувания от Чърчил "Велик съюз", а цветущо (с научнопопулярна нотка) представяне на отделни епизоди от войната (и малко след нея). Не че прочетеното не ми беше любопитно и полезно, но търсех съвсем друго.
В книгата също така личи огромният интерес на Груум към военната страна на историята на ВСВ, който го изкушава на много моменти да прави лирически отклонения, посветени на отделни битки и сражения. Драмата не е голяма (в тези пасажи могат да се научат някои интересни факти), но проблемът е, че текстовете, посветени на "важни" (с оглед темата на книгата) епизоди от развитието на "Великия съюз", като например Техеранската или Ялтенската конференции, получават сходно по обем отразяване.
В резюме, книгата на Уинстън Груум е приятна и се чете бързо, но ако търсите нещо по-специализирано, дори "по-сухо" като стил, за сложните дипломатически отношения между "Тримата големи", изборът ви може би трябва да падне върху друго произведение и друг автор.
March 30, 2022
I had started reading this some months ago but picked it back up again recently. I’m glad I did.
The three major Allied leaders of WWII are the featured characters: Roosevelt, Churchill, & Stalin. After filling in the background of each man, Groom gets them to the start of the 2nd World War. Each of them are remarkably different. Each having their weaknesses & strengths. (Statin’s strengths have a decidedly negative element to them.)
Learning about these leaders and their frequent interactions was eye opening. Each handled their nations & the war differently. They somehow functioned together to defeat the Nazi’s & Hitler. Each was essential to the other.
Roosevelt was interesting to watch as he handled the war with his disability. I also found him a complex man. He was willing to compromise, accommodate, & make deals with the devil. But he was unbending on the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers.
Stalin was a madman & a devil. He was a murderer millions of times over. He exterminated his own people to implement his move towards an industrial nation. He also threw while armies into the threshing machine to defeat the Germans in the battle field. He murdered indiscriminately to project power, even subjecting his own family to his cruelty.
Churchill is my favorite of the three. He was inspiring, discerning, & able to find a way forward after huge setbacks. He spoke & held his nation together but also spoke & moved the world.
An enjoyable book. This was my first Winston Groom book but it will not be my last.
The three major Allied leaders of WWII are the featured characters: Roosevelt, Churchill, & Stalin. After filling in the background of each man, Groom gets them to the start of the 2nd World War. Each of them are remarkably different. Each having their weaknesses & strengths. (Statin’s strengths have a decidedly negative element to them.)
Learning about these leaders and their frequent interactions was eye opening. Each handled their nations & the war differently. They somehow functioned together to defeat the Nazi’s & Hitler. Each was essential to the other.
Roosevelt was interesting to watch as he handled the war with his disability. I also found him a complex man. He was willing to compromise, accommodate, & make deals with the devil. But he was unbending on the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers.
Stalin was a madman & a devil. He was a murderer millions of times over. He exterminated his own people to implement his move towards an industrial nation. He also threw while armies into the threshing machine to defeat the Germans in the battle field. He murdered indiscriminately to project power, even subjecting his own family to his cruelty.
Churchill is my favorite of the three. He was inspiring, discerning, & able to find a way forward after huge setbacks. He spoke & held his nation together but also spoke & moved the world.
An enjoyable book. This was my first Winston Groom book but it will not be my last.
November 19, 2018
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The Allies: Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and the Unlikely Alliance That Won World War II by Winston Groom is a non-fiction book which recounts how Russia became and unlikely ally with the United States and England during World War II. Mr. Groom is a historian and novelist.
History, to me, is fascinating not only because of the big picture, but also of the little stories which make up the headlines. We all heard about the three leaders mentioned in The Allies: Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and the Unlikely Alliance That Won World War II by Winston Groom, the author goes about telling the reader how, and why, they decided to become allies despite many differences.
Russia did not have the same geopolitical goals, and was seen as the ideological enemy of the United States and England. Add to that Joseph Stalin, a suspicious and strong willed political adversary and one could consider this alliance a miracle.
We have Winston Churchill who is a “doer”, Joseph Stalin – a survivor, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt who has to referee between the two. The three leaders, strong willed and very suspicious of one another, still made this alliance work.
The author doesn’t just write history, he tells a story by giving us a history of each leader and what made them. Afterwards, the reader gets to learn how these three great personalities managed to synergy and find common ground (hating Nazis was a big one).
Even though this book is long and busy, I thought it was easy to read, entertaining, and well presented. I could easily follow the author’s logic to its conclusions and even learned a few new things.
The Allies: Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and the Unlikely Alliance That Won World War II by Winston Groom is a non-fiction book which recounts how Russia became and unlikely ally with the United States and England during World War II. Mr. Groom is a historian and novelist.
History, to me, is fascinating not only because of the big picture, but also of the little stories which make up the headlines. We all heard about the three leaders mentioned in The Allies: Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and the Unlikely Alliance That Won World War II by Winston Groom, the author goes about telling the reader how, and why, they decided to become allies despite many differences.
Russia did not have the same geopolitical goals, and was seen as the ideological enemy of the United States and England. Add to that Joseph Stalin, a suspicious and strong willed political adversary and one could consider this alliance a miracle.
We have Winston Churchill who is a “doer”, Joseph Stalin – a survivor, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt who has to referee between the two. The three leaders, strong willed and very suspicious of one another, still made this alliance work.
The author doesn’t just write history, he tells a story by giving us a history of each leader and what made them. Afterwards, the reader gets to learn how these three great personalities managed to synergy and find common ground (hating Nazis was a big one).
Even though this book is long and busy, I thought it was easy to read, entertaining, and well presented. I could easily follow the author’s logic to its conclusions and even learned a few new things.
January 9, 2019
I was provided this copy for review.
The book is wonderful at lending depth and motivations to the vastly different biographies of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. The intentions, talents, and faults accompanying each man's rise to power are given background that contextualizes the approach each takes in the challenges of WWII. It's an enjoyable insight as the reader can recognize the insecurities and ambitions from their own lives playing out in these larger-than-life heads of state—shortcomings which are otherwise obscured by the legends of their accomplishments. In this way the follower of history can both relate to the leader as well as come to understand that these men were incredible in spite of their flaws, not because they were without them.
The book's formatting suffers by attempting to track each ally's biography more or less simultaneously. Ancillary actors are casually referenced without a explanation, only to be given their relevant introduction a few pages (or even chapters) later. A small number of paragraphs essentially paraphrase their preceding information, which appears to be a copyediting error that will hopefully be caught in the next edition. But the writing is easy to read and engaging throughout.
Overall an enjoyable insight into an important period through the people who guided us through it.
The book is wonderful at lending depth and motivations to the vastly different biographies of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. The intentions, talents, and faults accompanying each man's rise to power are given background that contextualizes the approach each takes in the challenges of WWII. It's an enjoyable insight as the reader can recognize the insecurities and ambitions from their own lives playing out in these larger-than-life heads of state—shortcomings which are otherwise obscured by the legends of their accomplishments. In this way the follower of history can both relate to the leader as well as come to understand that these men were incredible in spite of their flaws, not because they were without them.
The book's formatting suffers by attempting to track each ally's biography more or less simultaneously. Ancillary actors are casually referenced without a explanation, only to be given their relevant introduction a few pages (or even chapters) later. A small number of paragraphs essentially paraphrase their preceding information, which appears to be a copyediting error that will hopefully be caught in the next edition. But the writing is easy to read and engaging throughout.
Overall an enjoyable insight into an important period through the people who guided us through it.
August 17, 2022
4.5 Stars. An amazing account of the three principle leaders of the Allies in World War II. Knew very little about Stalin. Even worse than I thought he was. One weird factoid, he grew up in a town where older men egged youth and young men to fist fight each other! Roosevelt, learned mainly from Doris Goodwin's book, Leadership in Turbulent Times, but this was a good review and added some nuggets about his relationships. The hero of the war? Winston Churchill. I knew he was clever and well spoken and a good writer, I did not fully appreciate how good. Yes, he made mistakes, but he never gave up, and he understood people and war. Britain needed our men and fire power, but he understood the true cost of losing and the true nature of Stalin.
December 11, 2018
I really appreciated the way this book was laid out. The book starts out describing each of the men's upbringings and childhoods. Then it goes on to describe how they came to power. Lastly, it describes how they came to become Allies.
This book is perfect for someone who wants to get an in-depth knowledge of these three men, but don't want to read separate books. I love reading historical fiction about WWII and this book really added to my knowledge base.
The author also used photos and fun footnotes that added to the book. It was clearly well researched and well written. I did not find The Allies to be too tedious, but it could be a slow read.
This book is perfect for someone who wants to get an in-depth knowledge of these three men, but don't want to read separate books. I love reading historical fiction about WWII and this book really added to my knowledge base.
The author also used photos and fun footnotes that added to the book. It was clearly well researched and well written. I did not find The Allies to be too tedious, but it could be a slow read.
November 21, 2018
Well done
If you enjoy studying history this is one of his many good books. He brings historical characters to life. Even if you thought you knew almost everything about these three WWII leaders you will be finding facts new to you throughout your read.
If you enjoy studying history this is one of his many good books. He brings historical characters to life. Even if you thought you knew almost everything about these three WWII leaders you will be finding facts new to you throughout your read.
February 9, 2021
Highly recommend this book as it is a very detailed account of WWII. The time that it has taken me is completely my issue as I have strayed many times to seek further information on specific people, places, and battles.
September 12, 2020
Truth is stranger than fiction
Where to begin on a book like this? It wasn't just the content that was startling, shocking, horrifying and awe-inspiring but the way it was written. Loved the footnotes and the little tidbits of personal information about these three leaders which really made this book difficult to put down.
Many times it gave me the tingles or fired me up. Sometimes it made me sick. Occasionally, I was tearful. How can you not be when recounting a time like this? Fact is more interesting than fiction in this amazing book. The author really made these three remarkable—or terrible—men come alive.
Winston was the standout of course, though he was far from flawless. One could call him imperialistic (especially when concerning the independence of India) and he made major f*ck ups like Gallipoli, but he was clearly the major figure in defeating the Nazis. And he had such foresight! And serious balls! Rare for a politician. Always thinking ahead and doing what he thought was best not only for his country but the world. Love him. If it weren't for him ...
Roosevelt was too soft and naive, though he had serious courage where it counted.
Stalin, well, he was just a monster. A chilling, sick man who smashed his country into rubble in order to rebuild it in his vision. Worse than Hitler. At least Hitler built his country up; Stalin tore his down. Too bad he only got his comeuppance while dead. What a shame. Can't believe he sent his own soldiers to labour camps. Murdered his advisers because they were unsuccessful or too successful. Wow. 'Small man syndrome?'
A book that depicts the best and worst of humanity; incredible courage amid shocking crimes.
Note: If invaded or taken over by a dictator: 1. don't question those in power (at least vocally—be subversive) 2. Don't be from a minority group. 3. For the love of God, don't be a woman. Yep. Humanity—a spectacular thing.
I don't know how to feel.
Where to begin on a book like this? It wasn't just the content that was startling, shocking, horrifying and awe-inspiring but the way it was written. Loved the footnotes and the little tidbits of personal information about these three leaders which really made this book difficult to put down.
Many times it gave me the tingles or fired me up. Sometimes it made me sick. Occasionally, I was tearful. How can you not be when recounting a time like this? Fact is more interesting than fiction in this amazing book. The author really made these three remarkable—or terrible—men come alive.
Winston was the standout of course, though he was far from flawless. One could call him imperialistic (especially when concerning the independence of India) and he made major f*ck ups like Gallipoli, but he was clearly the major figure in defeating the Nazis. And he had such foresight! And serious balls! Rare for a politician. Always thinking ahead and doing what he thought was best not only for his country but the world. Love him. If it weren't for him ...
Roosevelt was too soft and naive, though he had serious courage where it counted.
Stalin, well, he was just a monster. A chilling, sick man who smashed his country into rubble in order to rebuild it in his vision. Worse than Hitler. At least Hitler built his country up; Stalin tore his down. Too bad he only got his comeuppance while dead. What a shame. Can't believe he sent his own soldiers to labour camps. Murdered his advisers because they were unsuccessful or too successful. Wow. 'Small man syndrome?'
A book that depicts the best and worst of humanity; incredible courage amid shocking crimes.
Note: If invaded or taken over by a dictator: 1. don't question those in power (at least vocally—be subversive) 2. Don't be from a minority group. 3. For the love of God, don't be a woman. Yep. Humanity—a spectacular thing.
I don't know how to feel.
May 17, 2023
This is, I am ashamed to say, the first and only book by Winston Groom I have read so far. I have seen that he has a solid reputation as both a historian and writer of fiction, so this topic seemed as good a place as any to introduce myself to his writing.
The book contains biographical sketches of all three of these giant personalities- Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. I greatly enjoyed reading about their backgrounds: the similar naval roots of Roosevelt and Churchill, Churchill's action-movie exploits in the Boer War and WWI heroics, Stalin's violent, turbulent revolutionary activities, and the rise to power of all three men. You genuinely come to appreciate their unique brilliance (or in Stalin's case, his wily savagery), and look forward to when they finally meet each other in the flesh.
When the book comes to World War II, however, is where I started to lose a bit of interest. From that point on, it becomes mainly a summary of the military events of World War II, which of course must be detailed in some degree, but here it seemed like the main attraction was the various battles and strategies and the reactions of Roosevelt/Churchill/Stalin to them. The major highlights are there, such as Teheran and Yalta, but I never got that "zing" I was hoping to get from the coming interaction of the Big Three and their inevitable agreements/clashes- the in-depth analysis just wasn't there; again, it just seemed like a general history of the war.
The writing is very good, however, and the historical judgments solid for the most part. I certainly don't regret having read it, and there are some fascinating things to learn here. It is a great perspective for casual WWII learners, and gives me a good overall impression of Groom.
The book contains biographical sketches of all three of these giant personalities- Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. I greatly enjoyed reading about their backgrounds: the similar naval roots of Roosevelt and Churchill, Churchill's action-movie exploits in the Boer War and WWI heroics, Stalin's violent, turbulent revolutionary activities, and the rise to power of all three men. You genuinely come to appreciate their unique brilliance (or in Stalin's case, his wily savagery), and look forward to when they finally meet each other in the flesh.
When the book comes to World War II, however, is where I started to lose a bit of interest. From that point on, it becomes mainly a summary of the military events of World War II, which of course must be detailed in some degree, but here it seemed like the main attraction was the various battles and strategies and the reactions of Roosevelt/Churchill/Stalin to them. The major highlights are there, such as Teheran and Yalta, but I never got that "zing" I was hoping to get from the coming interaction of the Big Three and their inevitable agreements/clashes- the in-depth analysis just wasn't there; again, it just seemed like a general history of the war.
The writing is very good, however, and the historical judgments solid for the most part. I certainly don't regret having read it, and there are some fascinating things to learn here. It is a great perspective for casual WWII learners, and gives me a good overall impression of Groom.
December 30, 2018
The main narrative of this book is 445 pages. So it's not short, but not terribly long, either. And what does it cover? It's essentially a triple biography of the three men in the title and the whole of World War II. That's a lot of ground to cover in 445 pages. Considering that whole books have been written about specific battles alone, how does it hold up?
Pretty well, actually. That's why it gains that extra fourth star. Covering the staggering amount of material in less than 500 pages could easily turn into a mess, but Winston Groom does an admirable job of keeping everything straight. The only real complaint that I had was that sometimes the narrative would travel back and forth to a few years forward or back at times. Basically, we've finished up one battle, but then we're off to a different place and time without much of a segue.
There are plenty of facts and asides at the bottom of many pages, adding a bit of "did you know?" type of trivia appeal. The chapters have plenty of breaks, which is good on the one hand, but on the other, it's actually easier to keep track of things when you can read bigger chunks of the book in a sitting. There isn't a whole lot of getting down into detailed nitty-gritty type descriptions of battles, which works well for me, but people who like that kind of thing should be aware.
How will you know if this book is for you? It's targeted squarely at general readers. Maybe for someone who remembers a bit of their high school history and has watched some of the more popular World War II movies. Someone who reads a lot of historical fiction for any part of this era would probably find this a worthy read as well.
Pretty well, actually. That's why it gains that extra fourth star. Covering the staggering amount of material in less than 500 pages could easily turn into a mess, but Winston Groom does an admirable job of keeping everything straight. The only real complaint that I had was that sometimes the narrative would travel back and forth to a few years forward or back at times. Basically, we've finished up one battle, but then we're off to a different place and time without much of a segue.
There are plenty of facts and asides at the bottom of many pages, adding a bit of "did you know?" type of trivia appeal. The chapters have plenty of breaks, which is good on the one hand, but on the other, it's actually easier to keep track of things when you can read bigger chunks of the book in a sitting. There isn't a whole lot of getting down into detailed nitty-gritty type descriptions of battles, which works well for me, but people who like that kind of thing should be aware.
How will you know if this book is for you? It's targeted squarely at general readers. Maybe for someone who remembers a bit of their high school history and has watched some of the more popular World War II movies. Someone who reads a lot of historical fiction for any part of this era would probably find this a worthy read as well.
January 7, 2022
Churchill in reflection on his election in May 1940 in the darkest days of the War.
“I felt that I had been walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been preparation for this hour and for this trial. Ten years in the political wilderness had free from ordinary party antagonisms.” Pg. 242
One of my favourite Quotes:
“Even though many large tracts of Europe and many old and famous states have fallen into the group of the Gestapo and the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight in the air, we shall defend our island no matter what the costs may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets; we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.
And if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British fleet, would carry on the struggle until in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.” Pg. 243-244
“Whatever the underlying makeup, these three men presided over three of the most powerful countries on the plane.t Together, they saw and lived through the deadliest conflict in history from its beginning until its end. Each in his own way had high hopes for the grave new world that would arise from the ashes.” Pg. 445
“I felt that I had been walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been preparation for this hour and for this trial. Ten years in the political wilderness had free from ordinary party antagonisms.” Pg. 242
One of my favourite Quotes:
“Even though many large tracts of Europe and many old and famous states have fallen into the group of the Gestapo and the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight in the air, we shall defend our island no matter what the costs may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets; we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.
And if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British fleet, would carry on the struggle until in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.” Pg. 243-244
“Whatever the underlying makeup, these three men presided over three of the most powerful countries on the plane.t Together, they saw and lived through the deadliest conflict in history from its beginning until its end. Each in his own way had high hopes for the grave new world that would arise from the ashes.” Pg. 445
July 24, 2019
Well-written...
But lets now list all the problems with this book:
- shockingly biased
- loses itself in incredibly useless military minutiae that are irrelevant to the big picture
- structure of the book confusing and infuriating with an ever shifting timeline which leads to cacophony of repetitions
- some oversights are mind-boggling - no discussion of any input in the war effort from any non-us, non-uk or non-soviet player, no discussion of churchill direct responsibility in the famine of millions in india during the war
The author seems to think that we care more about FDRs marital affairs than the fate of the Jews and other minorities in the war...
Basically it reads like a fifteen year old teenage girl writing about churchill in the hopes that he would come back to life and be her lover so she could instagram about it....
They say history is written by the winners, this is exhibit A - shameful, so disrespectful and overtly racist towards so many people, its unbelievable
The title should be changed to:
“Churchill Idolatry: How to twist facts and suspend critical judgement to whitewash History.”
But lets now list all the problems with this book:
- shockingly biased
- loses itself in incredibly useless military minutiae that are irrelevant to the big picture
- structure of the book confusing and infuriating with an ever shifting timeline which leads to cacophony of repetitions
- some oversights are mind-boggling - no discussion of any input in the war effort from any non-us, non-uk or non-soviet player, no discussion of churchill direct responsibility in the famine of millions in india during the war
The author seems to think that we care more about FDRs marital affairs than the fate of the Jews and other minorities in the war...
Basically it reads like a fifteen year old teenage girl writing about churchill in the hopes that he would come back to life and be her lover so she could instagram about it....
They say history is written by the winners, this is exhibit A - shameful, so disrespectful and overtly racist towards so many people, its unbelievable
The title should be changed to:
“Churchill Idolatry: How to twist facts and suspend critical judgement to whitewash History.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2025
A US centric retelling of WWII prefaced by three intersecting mini-biographies of the principal actors the book names - Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin get their early life sketched out pretty well. Despite 2/3rds being European, the narrative has a US focus, likely because of the American author and intended audience.
A premise for the book was supposed to be more flavour of the relationships from letters, but that really doesn't show through. For a very concise text the book still takes a lot of side tracks that really are of questionable importance given the length. Is Elanor Roosevelt's gay affair really central to this story? Likewise the premise of judging their leadership doesn't really enter into the book directly other than the last third that pits them against each other - but then no more than you'd get in your average WWII documentary. What you get is essentially half a book of mini biographies and half a book of WWII recapped and it's not enough space to nail either. Nice introduction.
A premise for the book was supposed to be more flavour of the relationships from letters, but that really doesn't show through. For a very concise text the book still takes a lot of side tracks that really are of questionable importance given the length. Is Elanor Roosevelt's gay affair really central to this story? Likewise the premise of judging their leadership doesn't really enter into the book directly other than the last third that pits them against each other - but then no more than you'd get in your average WWII documentary. What you get is essentially half a book of mini biographies and half a book of WWII recapped and it's not enough space to nail either. Nice introduction.
December 1, 2019
This book gave great insight into the goals of each of The Allies who formed the strategies to win WW II. Roosevelt and Churchill were mostly concerned with their own nations and forging a peace that would live on. Stalin, on the other hand, was wanting to dominate the world in his own right. The book had insights into each individual background, which were vastly varied, and how that impacted their perspective of the war and what the world would look like after the war was over. Unfortunately, Roosevelt did not live to see the end of WWII. Stalin also died quite young and left confusion in the Soviet Union. Churchill had more political battles and very little quiet retirement. However, I get the sense that he preferred it that way. I do recommend this book for those looking to learn more about these men who forged the world as we know it.
August 18, 2020
It was interesting, but it seemed to me that it was more like three short, somewhat interconnected, biographies. Because they were short, I felt that there was little new in any of the biographies. I did walk away a little discouraged at how power-hungry Roosevelt and Churchill were at times. As for Stalin, I was once again stunned at the extent of how evil and ruthless he could be. I left the book thankful for a system of government that has strong opposition and balance of powers, anticipating that men and women are inclined to evil. If there continue to be leaders that range in behavior from Roosevelt to Stalin and Hitler, we need strong, active opposition.
I wish the index was more detailed. Several times I went back to look for people and there were skipped over in the index.
I wish the index was more detailed. Several times I went back to look for people and there were skipped over in the index.
April 22, 2025
This book is a big disappointment to its name and expectations. The book which is supposed to be an analysis of three allied leaders and their alliance a.k.a. relationship but book just seems to be a story of their lives from their formative years to the end of their lives.
There is no effort to analyse how their respective lives and interactions build up their after story and how the commonalities and differences had an impact on their political career.
This book for most part is just like any other world war chronicle and that too of below average category with imbalances emphasis on various events based on the author's preference. Also author showcased his strong prejudices both for Churchill/Roosevelt and against Stalin which is always a red flag for a good historical non fiction book.
There is no effort to analyse how their respective lives and interactions build up their after story and how the commonalities and differences had an impact on their political career.
This book for most part is just like any other world war chronicle and that too of below average category with imbalances emphasis on various events based on the author's preference. Also author showcased his strong prejudices both for Churchill/Roosevelt and against Stalin which is always a red flag for a good historical non fiction book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews